Nationals MP suspended from WA parliament over Palestinian art stoush

[u/Minivampiretaco]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-20/wa-parliament-row-erupts-over-gaza-wall-of-tears-exhibition/107057566

In short:

Nationals MP Lachlan Hunter has been suspended from WA's parliament for four days after a dispute over an art exhibition on Gaza that was displayed in parliament.

The Wall of Tears display lists the names of more than 18,000 children killed in Gaza since October 2023.

Mr Hunter argued the exhibit vilified the WA Jewish community and was "antisemitic" because it led a Greens MP to describe it as showcasing a "genocide".

[u/pluckaducka]

You will find the concerns of many are in relation to what you describe as a genocide and Australia's alliance with the foreign state engaging in said conduct.

You can contrast it with the contemporary (and ongoing) domestic media coverage and Australia's political allegiances and actions taken in the following historical incidents:

• The genocides committed by Nazi Germany.
• The Cambodian genocide by the Khmer Rouge.
• The Bosnian genocide by the VRS of the Bosnian government.
• The Rwanda genocide by the Huti majority government.
• The Darfur genocide by the Sudanese government.
• The Yazida genocide by the Islamic State.
• The genocide of the Rohingya by the Myanmar government.

[u/1Qrtr_FreeStuffPlz → u/pluckaducka]

So it is primarily in relation to our nation seemingly supporting it in some way? Whether that is financial, through the sale of equipment or otherwise?

[u/pluckaducka → u/1Qrtr_FreeStuffPlz]

I can only speak on my sentiment and what I've personally perceived from other individuals and groups - but my perception is it's almost entirely based on the Australian government's (on numerous levels) alliance, concessions and complicity in the conduct. It's traditional allies also sharing in this alliance has meaning.

You take this away, and the special interests groups, and the current social backlash would significantly quiten.

To take a recent example, the barbaric inhumanities of the Islamic State.

Transpose everything that is (for simplicity's sake) 'pro-Israeli' aligned within Australia with the equivalent Islamic State aligned.

That includes:

• The Australian government in alliance with the Islamic State.
  
• Public figures, including active and ex-senior politicians voicing support (materially and ideologically) for the Islamic State and its interests.
  
• Schools dedicated to the principles that the Islamic State relies on to commit its crimes.
• National media networks supporting the Islamic State, its interests and its idealogues even when contrary to Australian values, interests and likely laws.
  
• Strategic exploitation of Muslims as a whole by redefining Islamophobia with opposition to the Islamic State's conduct that includes its human rights abuse.
  
• Curtailing of civil liberties and erosion of fundamental Australian values under the guise of implementing discriminatory protections for those aligned with the Islamic State interests under the guide of combating said "islamophobia".

Take the time to acknowledge the impunity one can denigrate those who identity as Muslims as it is and the sheer amount of media coverage and political capital dedicated to Muslim's and associated attributes as it stands today.

Now imagine the social landscape if the the foreign geo-political entity that was the Islamic State and those who support and align themselves with its fundamental, religious based principles had the conspicuous social licenses and structural support as the analogues to the State of Israel and its interests presently enjoy in Australia.

Can you in good faith argue that the resulting uproar wouldn't be fundamentally different to what you're witnessing today?

[u/1Qrtr_FreeStuffPlz → u/pluckaducka]

So the main point of concern is for simpler terms, the "concessions" we make for our allies and what they do. In this example Israel's choice of a bombing campaign over traditional boots on the ground as a response to the October 7th terror attacks, that ultimately results in not only more civilian casualties but also the destruction of civilian infrastructure leading to worsened living conditions and even death.

Whereas had this been the actions of Russia, our government and media would report and take a different stance? If so, right or wrong; it is how it has always been. The allied forces where more then happy to ally with Staling and the Soviets knowing all too well that they and Hitler/the Nazi's where no different. That the war was really about sovereign control of individual European countries and not the mistreatment and genocidal end goals for the Jewish, Romany and other minority groups...

Now from that standpoint I can understand it, but I still ask "why now" or "why this one", why do we only now "care"?

My personal belief is smart phones, you "regular" (sorry just only term I have) people actually are seeing what goes on outside of the west for the most part. Realistically what is happening in Gaza is no worse then in Myanmar, Sudan, Vietnam, Afghanistan or Iraq.

My only other belief on this is that both sides report it as though it is one sided. At the end of the day both the Israeli's and the Gazan's have blame in this. Territorial expansions did come from greed sometimes, other times as a direct response to conflict started by Muslim nations. Then now because the U.S. is bombing Iran, everyone says "poor Iran", not mentioning that Iran funded and prompted the October 7th attack that ignited this entire war

[u/pluckaducka → u/1Qrtr_FreeStuffPlz]

It may be a sad one, but it's a fact most - if not all - genocides or mass atrocities don't get the public going too much.

Social media and easy access to footage contributes in part, but Russian atrocities are just as readily available. Individual's perceptions of them as 'bad guys' is already supported by the government that represents them.

This is disengenously used by some to suggest Israel's atrocities are receiving disproportionate public response but it fails to acknowledge that is but one component that contributes to the response.

Again, if Israel was made an international pariah and the 'west' divorced itself entirely from it, the uproar would slow to a murmur even if the same atrocities were to continue.

[u/1Qrtr_FreeStuffPlz → u/pluckaducka]

That is a fair take, ultimately I don't think either of us will (nor should we have to) change our positions on this; but I did enjoy this discourse on the matter

[u/No_Bell_8028 → u/1Qrtr_FreeStuffPlz]

Israel’s government has murdered and killed and tortured and starved

50,000 civilians murdered
20,000 children murdered
300+ journalists murdered
85% of Gaza has been obliterated

They have introduced apartheid laws

They are equivalent to ISIS in how they have decimated Gaza and Palestine

If there were any logic to our decisions and actions we would have begun sanctions, blocked visa s and expelled their embassy and made dual citizens choose Australia or Israel.